I love you, you know?
by Swordsman Crona
Summary: Soul's injured again and can't leave his bed for a while. Meanwhile, Maka's upset... at herself. SoMa, one-shot.


**A/N- A gift for a friend. Hope you like it! Typed it up about 6 months ago, so it's sort of old. Anime-verse, I just threw in crazy ol' Tezca.**

**Soul- **

_Maka. Maka, Maka, Maka_. Her name invades my thoughts way too often.

I've always known Maka was cool; even when I first saw her. She's tough, smart, and awesome… even if she _does_ have fat ankles.

Blair's a good-looking lady, but I'm not into her kind of woman all that much. For some reason, Maka's convinced that I like that kitty romantically just because of how I react. What kind of guy _wouldn't_ get a nosebleed from her, though? Getting hit over the head with a book doesn't exactly help, either!

Sometimes, I don't get what Maka's problem is. One second, she can be all sweet and sympathetic. The next, she can be some kind of rampaging maniac. I don't even know anymore.

I can't really remember when I realized how I feel about her. It seems like it's been forever. I've always thought she liked me back, too. She gets mad when Blair is being… well, Blair; and even though she blames me, it seems like she's doing that just because she wants me all to herself.

I protect her with everything I've got, and she should know that. Even though I may not be the most sensitive dude, I still care about her and her feelings. I've cheered her up and saved her from attacks more often than I care to mention.

Can't she tell?

"Maka, I'm really okay. You don't need to flip out over it."

I watched her as she clutched her book close to her chest, her head hanging and bangs obscuring her face.

"No, it's not, Soul!" Maka frowned, head rising and eyes staring me down. She looked mad at me and herself at the same time; and her wet, puffy eyes weren't helping her appearance. "This is worse than the other times! I… I thought…" She paused, eyes trailing to the bandages wrapped around my neck, the fabric slightly stained crimson. "…I thought I lost you."

I moved my hand to cover the blood, a shark-like grin coming across my face. "You know it'd take more than a little poison to kill me off! Besides, it didn't really hurt that much." I used my free hand to knock lightly on the side of my head, chuckling good-naturedly. "Besides, I was good and drugged during my little operation."

We had gone on a mission to the Amazon to take an extra lesson from Tezca and Enrique. No, we hadn't fallen behind. Maka _asked_ if we could go, because she wanted to get to know all of the Death Scythes and their meisters. These two were serious nutcases, though. Enrique was a _monkey_… need I say more? We went through the rainforest, and I was the lucky sucker that got hurt. The whole memory is blurry, and I can barely recall what happened. I remember seeing some freaky snake-thing poised towards Maka with its mouth open, like it was going to bite. I thought that maybe I could help by sidestepping in front of it instead of yelling and startling it. Apparently, the thing wasn't really particular about what it got a mouthful of, and it just happened to bite me riiiight on the neck. The thing had serious poison in it, so I immediately blacked out. I heard that Maka had to carry me back to the camp, and then I got flown way back over to the academy for treatment. That's my Maka, always looking out for me even though _I'm_ the weapon.

I had to have a little bit of surgery to get the toxic crap out of my bloodstream, but at this time, I was almost completely recovered.

I felt like a complete idiot, and for a good reason, too.

"That isn't the point!" Maka practically yelled, scowling. "You have to be more careful! Because-" She paused, looking away. Her eyes focused on a scuff on the floor, avoiding my gaze. I noticed her cheeks growing slightly pink, and it took an effort to keep from doing the same. "…because you're my weapon partner." Her gaze flicked around the room. I could tell she was lying. "I mean, what would I do without a weapon? I couldn't exactly run out and find a new one. You're supposed to become the coolest death scythe ever, right?" She finally looked up and locked her eyes with mine, forcing a smile. "So… you can't die on me. I get… worried."

I chucked. This girl… is so awesome.

My grin returned at full force. "C'mere, you!" I opened my arms slightly, welcoming her to give me a hug.

Maka eyed me for a moment, debating whether or not I was kidding. Soon enough, she tossed herself into my arms with all of her strength, and I practically got the wind knocked out of me. She embraced me tightly, her face buried into my chest, and I gently patted her back.

"I'msosorryIdidn'tmeanforyoutogethurtandit'sallmyfault!" She said it so quickly that it took me a moment to decipher her words, her fresh tears quickly soaking through my shirt. She sniffled and her small sobs returned, her arms suffocating me.

"It's really okay, Maka," I assured her softly, rubbing my palm against her shoulder blades. "I was really just being careless. How could it even _be_ your fault that something attacked me?"

"I insisted on going over there in the first place, even though I knew the risks. So it _is_ my fault." Her voice was muffled against the fabric of my shirt, and I could barely make out the words.

"It's no one's fault," I declared, ruffling her hair. She glanced up at me quizzically, her lips pursed tightly together. "If it has to be someone's fault, it's Tezca's fault for not watching us close enough! I mean, technically, we_ are_ just teens." I shook my head and clicked my tongue jokingly. "Then again, he wears a freakin' bear mask. He must have a few problems, so I guess it's not his fault, either."

Apparently, I finally did something right. She laughed lightly, her cheek meeting my chest again. Her eyes flicked shut sleepily, and she smiled. "Why do you always know what to say…?"

"Because I'm a freaking genius."

With that said, we slipped into a comfortable silence. There was nothing else to say.

I studied her face closely for a long while, perfectly content in doing so. Usually, she was so strong; unwilling to cry or give in to her emotions. Though, it always seems like when it comes down to me getting hurt, she's an emotional mess. She _has_ to like me back. There's no other explanation.

I may as well say it. This was a perfect time.

"I love you, Maka."

I murmured it quietly, so it would reach only her ears. My heart thudded in my chest as I stared at her, waiting for a reaction.

Seconds passed. Minutes soon followed.

Maybe she didn't hear?

"Maka?" I called, and then paused. She was asleep.

…damn.


End file.
